When it comes to running long distances, properly fueling your body can make all the difference — not just in your performance but ALSO in your ability to recover quickly afterward.

Keri Claiborne Boyle, a former nationally ranked triathlete and certified coach of USA Triathlon and the Road Runners Club of America, says, “No matter how much you train, you have to get the nutrition right.”

Nutrition Tips for Distance Running

• Avoid "Carb Loading"

  “People used to believe in carb loading before an event, but it causes bloating, which slows you down,” says Boyle. Now she coaches runners to increase their daily complex carbohydrate intake five days before a long race, without overdoing it.

  Carbohydrates build up glycogen stores in your muscles that fuel you when you’re running. “You can’t just cram them in the night before,” she says.

  Eating a combination of low-fiber simple carbs and low-fat proteins the morning before the race is optimal since runners need a fuel source that’s easy to digest, but also has staying power.

  Supplements can further enhance performance.

• Beets Boost Endurance

  Various beetroot products are targeted to athletes, including both juices and powders—especially endurance athletes.

  Liz Keller, a health coach certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, says, “Beet extract has a high concentration of sucrose—a simple sugar source that’s a natural endurance booster.”

  Research shows that the body converts the beetroot’s active ingredient—inorganic nitrate—into nitric oxide in the saliva. Clinical studies indicate that increased nitric oxide levels help fight muscle fatigue and may help improve times in endurance tests.

  “You have to take beet extract about 90 minutes before you need it,” says Rob Liao, MD, cardiologist and avid runner. “But don’t use mouthwash beforehand or it disrupts the oral flora needed to make it work.”

• Replenish Electrolytes

  When you exercise for long periods of time, or in hot weather, water alone won’t keep you hydrated.

  That’s because you lose electrolytes—such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium—through your sweat that are critical for moving fluid where it’s needed.

  “Marathon runners often ‘hit the wall’ around mile 16 or 17,” says Boyle. “It’s not usually because they didn’t train right—it’s almost always a nutrition problem.”

  There are many electrolyte-rich sports drinks available, but they contain sugar or sugar substitutes. Keller says, “They give you a quick burst of energy, but your blood sugar levels drop so low afterwards that you ‘crash.’”

  Instead, Keller suggests replenishing your electrolytes by dissolving a few grains of Himalayan salt in your water. “Amino acids also help induce quicker muscle recovery.”

• Nutrients For Recovery

  Long-distance running takes a toll on your body; even if you’re in top shape and eat well, recovery can be difficult.

  “People used to think muscle soreness was due to lactic acid, but research has shown that microtears in your muscles—DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)—is actually to blame,” explains Boyle.

  “When your cells rush in to repair your muscles, it causes a buildup of cellular debris that must be cleared from your bloodstream.”

  • Tart Cherry Juice for Antioxidants

    For those looking to lower inflammation and recover muscle strength more quickly after exercise, science shows that tart cherry juice can make a real difference.

    The juice contains antioxidants that speed up muscle recovery and remove free radicals that cause inflammation and soreness.

  • Fish Oil for Omega 3s

    Another supplement to consider is fish oil, which facilitates antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the body. It’s full of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help repair oxidative damage.

  • Protein to Rebuild

    Protein also helps rebuild muscle. “A protein shake helps speed recovery, but it’s not a meal substitute,” says Keller.

    “We’re a culture that’s into the quick fix, but we’re supposed to chew our food, not drink it, to properly cue digestion. There are so many products on the market now in shiny packages, but I’m a believer that if you eat good, whole, nutrient-dense foods, and drink water with a little bit of salt, that’s really all you need.”

    Nutrients with a 4-to-1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, like chocolate milk, can also help offset DOMS and minimize discomfort, but only when consumed within 30 minutes of finishing a race.

Beetroot or “beets,” the edible taproot portion of the beet plant, get a bad rap in the West.

In portions of Eastern Europe and beyond, where borscht (beet soup) is frequently on the menu from noonday on, they’ve long known of the endurance-boosting qualities of this seemingly simple red vegetable.

Now athletes, and the scientists and nutritionists who study ways to boost athletic performance on the playing field, are taking notice of beets.

Working with his colleagues in the Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences at England’s University of Exeter, Andy Jones, PhD, looked at whether, and how, beet juice could impact athletic performance.

How Does Beetroot Juice Help Athletes?

Beets are rich in inorganic nitrates, which are beneficial to vascular health and function.

Consumed a few hours in advance of your activity, those nitrates mingle with the bacteria in your saliva and convert them to nitrites. (If you use mouthwash or gum after consuming the beet product, this conversion will not occur.)

Your body takes it from there, converting the nitrite into nitric oxide.

Benefits of a Nitrate Boost

Athletes know that the average nitrite boost of 12 percent to 14 percent means improved blood flow, muscle contraction, and neurotransmission.

That can improve performance, the study showed, by as much as 2 percent.

Another plus: Blood pressure drops when those nitrites kick in.

Effects of Beetroot Juice

• For Speed

  A separate study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that the consumption of beetroot improves running performance.

  Another study published by Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice enhanced the time trial performance that put trained cyclists in a simulated high-altitude environment. Beetroot was found to be a credible agent in improving endurance exercise at high altitude.

• For Endurance

  Athletes in Dr. Jones' study also needed an average of 3 percent less oxygen to maintain specified levels of moderate exercise if they drank beet juice two to three hours before a race or a game.

  That’s right: Drinking beet juice means you’ll use less energy to keep up the same pace as before.

  A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reported that those drinking the juice just prior to working out could push their workouts 16% longer, suggesting that increased dietary nitrate intake has the potential to enhance exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercise.

• For Strength

  Another study showed that even nonathletes can benefit from beet juice.

  Patients with heart failure who drank it saw a 13 percent boost in their muscle power two hours after consumption.

How Much Beetroot Juice Should You Take?

Jones and his team concluded that when it comes to beet juice and athletic performance, you should drink about [q:2 1/2] cups roughly two to three hours before you need it.

Concentrates (“shots”) and powders are available over the counter. If that’s your preference, you’re looking for the equivalent of roughly 600 ml of juice to achieve peak performance.